Academic Writing Task - Older people
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 6:15 pm
In many countries today insufficient respect is shown to older people. What do you think may be the reasons for this? What problems might this cause in society?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
My answer:
It is true that we live in a society that is constantly growing and its values are changing. Older people used to be role models in the family but not anymore. We will try to examine the reasons and the effects in society.
Firstly, times have changed and the new generations grow up with different values and role models. For them, older people are just a burden and they are a group of persons who cannot understand them. A lot of young people do not try to socialize with them and hear their life stories, as a result they do not pay attention to them and believe they do not deserve their respect. Moreover, the role of media is crucial as they portrait elder people as annoying, old fashioned and sick most of the time. In addition, family bonds are not tight at all in big cities, as a consequence grandparents do not see their grandchildren, while the latter ones learn to grow up in a family with relatively younger people. For instance, my friend has never met his grandparents, thus he has not created a relationship with older people and he cannot understand how they fell and how important it is to respect them.
Secondly, this behavior might cause problems in society in a way that the elder might experience a low quality life and it could have an effect in their psychology. Furthermore, they need the support of young people because a lot of them are not in a position to take care of themselves. For example, older people usually need someone else to carry their bags from supermarket to their house because they are too heavy for them. Plus, it is quite remarkable to stress that a democratic society ought to respect everyone and should not discriminate against any social group. Respecting older people shows culture, education and above all respect for the past.
In brief, everyone should respect older people not only because it is the right thing to do but also because everyone will grow old and would expect others to respect them.
---
I'm waiting for your corrections, ideas and feedback. Thank you in advance.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
My answer:
It is true that we live in a society that is constantly growing and its values are changing. Older people used to be role models in the family but not anymore. We will try to examine the reasons and the effects in society.
Firstly, times have changed and the new generations grow up with different values and role models. For them, older people are just a burden and they are a group of persons who cannot understand them. A lot of young people do not try to socialize with them and hear their life stories, as a result they do not pay attention to them and believe they do not deserve their respect. Moreover, the role of media is crucial as they portrait elder people as annoying, old fashioned and sick most of the time. In addition, family bonds are not tight at all in big cities, as a consequence grandparents do not see their grandchildren, while the latter ones learn to grow up in a family with relatively younger people. For instance, my friend has never met his grandparents, thus he has not created a relationship with older people and he cannot understand how they fell and how important it is to respect them.
Secondly, this behavior might cause problems in society in a way that the elder might experience a low quality life and it could have an effect in their psychology. Furthermore, they need the support of young people because a lot of them are not in a position to take care of themselves. For example, older people usually need someone else to carry their bags from supermarket to their house because they are too heavy for them. Plus, it is quite remarkable to stress that a democratic society ought to respect everyone and should not discriminate against any social group. Respecting older people shows culture, education and above all respect for the past.
In brief, everyone should respect older people not only because it is the right thing to do but also because everyone will grow old and would expect others to respect them.
---
I'm waiting for your corrections, ideas and feedback. Thank you in advance.